Spreader



J. H. MAULDIN Jan. 25, 1966 S PREADER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 2'7,1960 INVENTOR.

JOHN H. MAULDIN ATTORNEY J. H- MAULDIN Jan. 25, 1966 SPREADER 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 27, 1960 INVENTOR.

JOHN H. MAuLDm ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,230,845 SPREADER John H.Mauldin, 1606 N. Main St., Greenville, S.C.

Filed Sept. 27, 1960, Ser. No. 58,854

1 Claim. (Cl. 94-46) This invention relates to an improved spreader forasphalt and the like of the type which may be attached to a vehicle.

Formerly, most asphalt spreaders and the like have been self-propelledand have included means for mixing the asphalt and the like preparatoryto spreading same. Spreaders of the type which were adapted to beattached to dump trucks have been inadequate to do the job of providinga sufiiciently even and smooth surface preparatory to the compactingoperation.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an asphaltspreader and the like of the type which may be carried by and employedeffectively with a dump truck and the like.

An important object of this invention is to provide an improved spreadercapable of spreading asphalt and the like and providing an even, smoothsurface thereon.

Another important object of this invention is to provide an asphaltspreader of the non-self-propelled type having a separate strike-off barand screed bar mounted between wheel supports to minimize irregularitiesin the road surface engaged by the wheel supports.

Another object of the invention is to provide a spreader of thenon-self-propelled type having improved steering means independent ofthe towing vehicle, and being capable of being adjusted to spreadsurfaces of varying thicknesses.

Another important object of the invention is to provide an asphaltspreader having tamping or compacting action together with a strike offand smoothing action.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an asphalt spreaderof the non-self-propelled type which is of simple rugged constructionminimizing the expense of the spreader and yet providing an improvedroad surface.

The .construction designed to carry out the invention will behereinafter described, together with other features thereof. I

The invention will be more readily understoodfrom a reading of thefollowing specification and by reference to constructed in accordancewith the present invention,

FIGURE 2 is a rear elevation illustrating the spreader shown in FIGURE1,

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation, with par-ts in section illustrating thespreader shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, and

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged rear perspective ,view, with parts omitted,illustrating the adjustable mechanism for compacting and smoothing thesurface of the asphalt and the like.

Referring more particularly to the drawings a spreader of thenon-self-propelled type is illustrated as including a hopper A having anopen bottom which is provided with a gate. A strike ofl bar B is carriedby the hopper A and is provided with driving means for oscillating samein the form of a suitable motor. A screed bar C for smoothing thesurface which has been struck off by the strike off bar B also hasconnection to the hopper A. Adjustable means D in the form of threadedelements are provided for raising and lowering the hopper by bearingupon the wheel supports. It will be noted by reference to FIGURE 3especially that the strike ofi": bar B and the screed C are mountedbelow and rearwardly of the hopper and between the rear wheel supports.The strike off bar B is provided with linkage mechanism E permittingarcuate oscillatory movement of the strike off bar B. The strike off barB and the screed C may be centrally adjusted to provide a crown ordepression whichever is desired in the roadway surface. It will be notedthat the strike ofi bar B and the screed bar C aremade in two parts forthis purpose and that the screed has attachment to the hopperindependently'of the strike off bar B. The steering means F are providedfor steering the spreader independently of the vehicle pulling same.

The hopper A is substantially wedge shaped, having a front wall 10 and arear wall 11 inclined inwardly and downwardly so as to provide arelatively large open top. The hopper A also includes sides 12 and 13together with a gate 14 which is hinged at 15 to the bottom of the frontwall 10. The bottom or gate 14 is attached through a flexible cable 16and a chain 17 to the dump body 18, shown in broken lines in FIGURE 3,by a hook 19. In operation the gate 20 of the dump body opens to permitasphalt and the like to be dumped into the hopper A.

When in use the spreader is attached to the truck chassis 21 by means ofthe flexible cable 22 which is carried by a winch 23. The winch 23 ismounted upon a suitable bracket 24 carried adjacent the front wall 10 ofthe hopper and is provided with a crank 25 for tightening the cable 22and positioning the hook 26 about a suitable part of the truck. A crankarm 23a serves to disengage the pawl 23b, through the shaft 230, fromthe peripheral teeth 23d. It will be noted that the entire spreader maybe carried by the truck when the dump body is lowered and that when thedump body is raised as shown in FIG- URE 3 that the bottom 14 of thehopper A will be opened to permit the flow of asphalt and the liketherethrough. When the dump body is lowered the gate 14 is automaticallyclosed saving the asphalt remaining in the hopper. In operation afterthe spreader has been lowered to the ground and is in operable positionthe hook 26 is extended and attached to a suitable part of the truck forpulling the spreader.

A pair of front wheel supports 27 and a pair of rear wheel supports 28are carried by brackets 29 and 30, respectively. The front wheels 27 maybe steered through the steering mechanism F which includes a handle 31fixed to a shaft 32 carried by a steering column 33 having connectionsto one of the brackets 29. The

shaft 32 through suitable means (not shown) turns the the wheel mountedthereon in a desired position for steering. The plate 36 has a steeringbar 38 pivoted thereon, the other end of the steering bar beingpivotally connected to the link 39 to turn the shaft 40 mounting theopposite wheel an amount commensurate with the turning of the shaft 37.The sliding member 41, which defines the edge of the material beingspread serves as a guide in steering. This sled member 41 is adjustablethrough manipulation of the bolts 42.

The brackets 30 carry the threaded means D for raising and lowering thespreader elements with respect to the wheel supports 27 and 28. Athreaded shaft 43 forms a part of each of the adjustable supports D andeach is fixed to one of the wheel supports 44. The shaft 43 is alsoprovided with a support 45 intermediate the wheel supports 44 and thebrackets 30. A crank arm 46 is carried by a housing 47 which isinternally threaded as at 48 for raising and lowering the shaft 43 byturning the housing within the bearing 49 carried by the bracket 30. Akey 50 prevents the shaft 43 turning within the support 45.

It should be noted at this point that the hopper A includes and isbraced by a pair of longitudinally disposed channel members 51 and 52which support the bracket 29 carrying the front wheel supports 27.Bracing 53' is provided to support the front wall 10 of the hopper. Asuitable support 54 is provided for the motor 55 and is carried by therear channel member 52. The motor 55 through a suitable belt 55a drivesa pulley 56 to turn a shaft 57. The shaft 57 carries a cam 58 (FIGURE4); The cam 58 imparts an oscillatory motion to the shaft 59- throughthe bearing 59a. The shaft 59 is connected in one of a number ofpositions to a vertically adjustable standard or link 68 provided with anumber of vertically spaced apertures 61 provided to accommodateadjustment of the link. This connection is had by the bifurcated memberand the pin 62 carried thereby being fixed in one of the apertures 61.

The strike ofr" bar B is divided into two halves as is best shown inFIGURES 2 and 4. The two adjacent ends of the strike off bar arepivo-tally connected as by the pin 63 which also passes through thestandard 60. The standard 60 has a slide 64 adjacent its upper end intowhich a threaded member 65 is internally threaded. The member 65 is alsothreaded into an internally threaded projection 66 carried by a bracket67 which has fixed connection with the rear wall of the hopper 11.

The standard 60 has pivotal connection with the slide 64 as by the bolt63a. It will be noted that the slide is positioned between a pair ofguide members 68 and 69 which are in turn carried by the bracket 67. Ifdesired one of the guide members 68 or 69 may be calibrated as shown at68a.-

The adjacent edges of the screed C are pivoted as at 78 to a bracket 71which has fixed connection to the slide 64 so that theadjustment of thescreed C will be commensurate'with that of the strike ofl bar B. Thefree edges of the strike ofi bar 13 are connected to the hopper bysuitable links 72 which are pivoted adjacent their upper ends as at 73to a bifurcated support 74 having suitable fixed connection with thehopper. The lower ends of the link 72 have pivotal connection as at 75adjacent the remote ends of the strike off bar B. Support is providedfor the remote ends of the screed bar C by brackets 76 which havesuitable connection to the hopper. The links 77 are hinged on one end asat 78 to the remote ends of the screed bar C and on their ends as at79to the brackets 76.

The strike off bar B is divided into two halves 80 and 81 and the screedis divided into two halves 82 and 83.

The strike ofi' bars 80 and 81 essentially comprise a longitudinalvertically disposed fiat bar. The screed portions 82 and 83 includeessentially a channel member with the web portion facing downwardly.inwardly and upwardly facing lips 82a and 83a remove excess asphaltprior to the smoothing of the surface by the web.

It is important to note that the arcuate oscillatory motion imparted tothe strike off bar B promotes the delivery of the asphalt from thehopper A, the even spreading of the asphalt, and at the same time acompacting of the asphalt. Smoothing is provided by the independentscreed C. The thickness of asphalt to be spread may be adjusted by thehopper supports D. By mounting the strike off bar and the screed betweenwheel supports irregularities in the surface are minimized.

The foregoing disclosure and description of the in vention isillustrative and explanatory thereof and changes and variations willoccur of those skilled in the art which may be made within the scope ofthe appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

A portable spreader for asphalt and the like pulled by a truckincluding, a hopper having an open bottom through which asphalt is fed,a gate for closing said bottom, a strike 01f bar oscillatably mounteddirectly upon the hopper, motor driving means carried by the hopperoscillating said strike off bar so as to impart vibratory motion to thehopper, a screed bar carried by the hopper rearwardly of the strike offbar, front and rear wheel supports mounted directly upon the hoppercarrying the hopper therebetween, said front wheel supports and saidrear wheel supports each including a pair of wheels positioned onopposite sides of the hopper, vertically adjustable means mounting thehopper upon the rear wheel supports so that the hopper may be raised orlowered, said strike off bar and screed bar being positioned below andrearwardly of the hopper and between the rear Wheel supports, and meansattaching said hopper to the truck, whereby the strike ott bar serves tovibrate the hopper thus feeding asphalt through the open bottom and tograde the asphalt being laid, the surface of such asphalt being smoothedby the screed bar, and whereby the effect of irregularities in theunfinished road bed is minimized by such positioning of the strike offbar and screed.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,162,029 11/1915Burns 275-7 1,619,083 3/1927 Maxon 94-45 1,677,877 7/1928 Carr 94-44 X1,744,613 '1/1930 Coulter 94-44 1,840,970 1/1932 Noble 94-44 1,897,6052/1933 Clifford 94-44 1,940,898 12/1933 Arndt 94-44 1,994,082 3/1935Abernathy 94-44 2,136,917 11/1938 French 94-46 2,332,688 10/1943 Baily94-46 2,413,632 12/1946 Jackson 94-44 2,586,396 2/1952 Trampler 94-442,796,811 6/1957 Barber et al. 94-46 2,842,036 7/1958 Overman 94-462,899,877 8/1959 Phillips et a1. 94-44 3,029,714 4/ 1962 Creswell 94-44CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Primary Examiner. OB NAQK N in n

